In 2005, Godwin Benson taught a man’s two children Mathematics for a month. He was extremely good at teaching Math, so he taught them well, yet didn’t get paid a dime out of the N9,000 fee he had agreed on.
Moreover, this man’s house was approximately 10 minutes’ walk from his, yet it took him almost 2 months to find Godwin, meaning he had lost 2 months of active tutoring. And progressively, Godwin realized that so many people wanted to learn various things but had no easy or reliable way to find someone who can teach them, even when that potential person stays nearby. Those who find a tutor usually get only one referral without the ability to compare and hire their best fit at the right price, and sometimes they don’t get quality service they would have asked for.
This realization resulted in the commencement of Tuteria, an online platform that connects people seeking to learn anything with those willing to teach, as well as ensures safety, accountability and quality service delivery. They help people find and book private lessons with competent local tutors, instructors, coaches and mentors for whatever they wish to learn – from academic subjects, to various exams and even skills like dance, swimming, and photography.
Firstly, they manually review every tutor applicant as well as schedule an interview to ensure that they have the kind of high quality in personality, passion and communication that can succeed. Those who don’t pass this stage are not approved, and cannot re-apply till after 3 months.
Tutors go through various stages of verification and evaluation before they can teach any particular subject; and are also continuously evaluated to ensure they maintain high quality while on the site. The app has a ratings system, and allows students to book lessons using an upfront online payment system.
Tutors are then paid once the lessons have been confirmed, and Tuteria takes 15 to 30% commission for each paid lesson.
The same platform was awarded prize money worth $32,000 in the Engineering Innovation Awards, of which Benson beat 16 participants.
The ultimate goal is to widen Tuteria’s offering well beyond Nigeria, while including online classes and video courses as well.
For more information click here.